Duty of Care

On Sunday morning, October 11, 2026, a tree trimmer died after becoming trapped about 35 to 40 feet above the ground while trimming a tree near the 3900 block of Horton Road in Bonita, California, in San Diego County, according to Bonita-Sunnyside Fire Protection District officials as reported by FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI.

Bonita-Sunnyside crews were already on another call, so crews from Chula Vista, National City, and San Miguel responded. Fire crews lowered the person from the tree, and the person was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials said no additional information was available. The person’s name, the employer, and what caused the entrapment had not been reported.

For tree crews working at height, the defenses to check before anyone climbs are: a rescue plan for that tree, with a trained rescuer and the gear to reach and lower a climber ready on the ground for the whole job; a look at the crown for hazards that can pin or trap a climber, such as dead fronds, hung limbs, or cut pieces that can shift; and a simple check-in signal so the ground crew knows right away if the climber stops responding. When the local fire department may already be on another call, as Bonita-Sunnyside was here, the first rescue has to come from the job itself.

• FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI
• Hoodline